Yellow Card, a prominent pan-African cryptocurrency exchange and financial technology firm has collaborated with the Web3Ladies mentorship program, aiming to empower more than 500 Nigerian women with essential tech and blockchain skills. The partnership, facilitated by a $3,000 grant, falls under Yellow Card’s YC Social Good initiative, a flagship Corporate Social Responsibility effort designed to promote financial freedom and ensure access to tech resources throughout Africa.

The Web3Ladies mentorship program, spanning three months, provides intensive training for skilled designers, engineers, and managers in the blockchain industry. Participants receive vital tools and tech resources crucial for their success in the post-training phase. Yellow Card’s decision to partner with Web3Ladies, a women-centric organization, stems from the urgent need to break down barriers faced by the continent’s young population, particularly women, who aspire to enter the tech industry. In Sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated 230 million jobs will require digital skills by 2030, yet only 30% of women receive STEM training, highlighting a significant gender disparity.

Yellow Card’s YC Social Good initiative aims to bridge this gap by equipping young African talents with the skills necessary to shape the continent’s future. Despite Nigeria’s vibrant entrepreneurial spirit, only 15% of tech startup co-founders are women, and gender inclusivity remains a challenge in the digital landscape. This partnership signifies a tangible effort by Yellow Card to empower more women, believing that such investments will yield positive outcomes for the African economy in the near future.

Nkechi Enebeli, Associate Program Manager for Web3Ladies, praised Yellow Card’s commitment to corporate social responsibility, emphasizing that empowering women in tech is an investment in the future. The partnership signifies more than just financial support; it represents the strength of collaboration and the potential for a more equitable tech ecosystem.

The Web3Ladies mentorship program comprises four phases spanning three months, featuring live classes, weekly workshops, and in-depth sessions on specific blockchain topics delivered by industry experts. The program has over 500 registered mentees, with an intake of more than 200 accepted applicants in the current cohort. After the program concludes, successful graduates will receive work tools such as laptops, inverters, and MiFis to support their continued endeavors.

Since its launch in Nigeria in 2019, Yellow Card has contributed thousands of dollars to various projects and initiatives, both within Nigeria and across the continent. The company’s support extends to organizations such as Generation Empower (GenEm) in Tanzania and the Purple Skills Klinic Foundation in Uganda. As the largest cryptocurrency exchange in Africa, operating in over 17 countries, Yellow Card offers crypto exchange services, easy cross-border payments powered by crypto, and an API suite for companies to facilitate on-and-off ramping processes. In 2022, the company successfully raised $40 million in its Series B fundraising round, bringing its total funds raised to over $50 million, a record in the African cryptocurrency industry.